Pizza Success!

DavidHall

Well, last weekend I tried my first bread and pizza on the BGE. Both were a disappointment.[p]This past Saturday, however, I made pissaladiere, a pizza common in the south of France, and it turned out wonderful. Granted, I made the pizza in an 8-inch pan. (Pan pizzas are generally easier than "free style" pizzas.) I cooked the pizza at 450 for about 35 minutes. The crust was perfectly browned and the flavor was just superb. At the suggestion of a friend, I left the top off --- no daisy wheel, no nothing. I think this is a good thing. Not only did it seem to improve air circulation, but it also helped smell up the neighborhood. :-)[p]For those who are interested, pissaladiere is a pizza thickly covered with well-caramelized onions, flavored with crushed anchovies and tomato paste and topped with tiny nicoise olives. It is delicious, especially accompanied by a light red or rose wine. In the south of France, they often serve a small square as an appetizer. This weekend, though, we served up hearty portions for a very filling lunch. If anyone wants more details on pissaladiere, feel free to ask.[p]That was Saturday. We just finished Easter dinner. I'll post that information separately.[p]I want to thank everyone for their many helpful suggestions. You folks are a wonderful source of information.

Frozen Chosen

DavidHall,
sounds good; how do you deal with the pits in those olives?

Shelby

DavidHall,
Congrats! Nothing like cooking something of that nature with great success. When I tell people I cook pizza on my "grill" they all look in disbelief! Now that you know how, you get to repeat your success until it becomes simple.

DavidHall

Frozen Chosen,[p]You spit them out! :-)[p]Seriously, you do have a good point. Americans just aren't used to unpitted olives. If I were to serve pissaladiere to American friends who were new to the dish, I would definitely warn them.[p]In any case, you shouldn't add that many olives to the pizza. The olives shouldn't dominate the pizza. They are there just as a counterpoint to the sweetness of the onions. When pissaladiere is served as an appetizer, you'll likely get only one, almost never more than two, olives on your slice. If anyone is tempted to try pissaladiere, please don't substitute canned olive slices. They're frankly nasty and they'll ruin your pizza.

Unknown

DavidHall,
Ok, I am asking. Please tell me more about this pizza! Did you make the crust, what was it, what kind of pan, etc... It sounds very good.

DavidHall

Seth Howard,[p]I didn't make the crust. Instead, I bought frozen pizza/bread dough at my local Whole Foods market. I really don't care for most frozen doughs but Whole Foods' is excellent. It's nothing but King Arthur flour, water, yeast, and salt. The pan was a round 8-inch baking pan. I used about 10-12 oz of the dough.[p]Of course, the special thing about pissaladiere is the topping. You start by slowing caramelizing onions. I used two large onions for an 8 inch pizza. The best way I've found to caramelize onions is to slice them VERY thinly and cook them in butter or olive oil over very low heat for an hour or so in a heavy gauge pot with a secure lid. After the first half hour open the pot to flip the onions but put the lid back on right afterwards. The steam that accumulates help cooks the onions.[p]After the onions have cooked for about an hour, stir in about a teaspoon of tomato paste and about a teaspoon of crushed anchovies. (Tomato puree from tubes and the anchovy paste in tubes is fine for this.) Set the topping aside to cool while you press out the crust into the baking pan.[p]When the topping has cooled and the crust has risen slightly in the pan, add the topping, smearing it almost to the edge. Dot the top of the pizza with little nicoise olives, and put it in a 450 deg Egg for about 35-40 minutes.[p]There are several issues many Americans would have with this dish. One, we tend to top our pizzas differently. We want tomato sauce and then lots and lots of toppings. Resist that temptation...at least for once. [p]Also, many Americans don't like anchovies. It's true that anchovies can be VERY nasty if you serve them wrong. However, the anchovies provide the salt for the topping as well as a depth of flavor you can't get any other way. The topping isn't "fishy" at all.[p]Finally, many Americans don't like olives. If they associate olives with those canned kalamata olive slices, I don't blame them. :-( Nicoise olives are tiny and pleasantly bitter but not "tinny" tasting. They are worth looking for in your local deli. They provide a great counter-balance to the onions in this dish. Also, the pizza is not covered with olives. In France, you'll get one or two olives at most with your slice of pissaladiere.[p]Have I left anything out?? Let me know if I've confused anyone. I need to get a digital camera and start sharing pictures like the rest of you folks. :-)